Merry Christmas, Captain
by Kat Lee formerly Pirate Turner
Summary: Christmas brings a reminder of both the most wonderful and cherished gifts of all and the things for which hearts still yearn.  Smooky Slash Goodness!  5th in my 12 Days of Christmas series for my beloved Jack and our darling babies.


Title: "Merry Christmas, Captain"  
>Author: Pirate Turner<br>Dedicated To: My beloved, wondrous, and always inspirational and amazing Jack, and our darling babies - Merry Christmas and Happy Solstice, my loves! This is the fifth story in my 12 Days of Solstice/Christmas for my beloved Jack and our darling babies of the year 2011.  
>Rating: PG<br>Summary: Christmas brings a reminder of both the most wonderful and cherished gifts of all and the things for which hearts still yearn.  
>Warnings: Slash, Established Relationship<br>Date Written: 27 November, 2011  
>Word Count (excluding heading): 2,958<br>Disclaimer: Captain James T. Hook, Smee, Peter Pan, and all other recognizable characters mentioned within are ﾩ & TM Disney and J.M. Barrie, not the author, and are used without permission. Everything else belongs to the author. The author makes absolutely no profit off of this work of fan fiction, and no copyright infringement is intended.

Smee awoke to find the bed he shared with his beloved Captain cold and knew, even before he reached out to touch his sweet James' side, that his lover had not been in bed now for some time. He gave a heavy, heartfelt sigh; tossed the covers off of his pudgy body; and rolled to his feet. He slid his feet into his sandals, lifted their candle off of their bedside table, and cast its weakened glow around their cabin. The silver of the hook his beloved had worn that day gleamed back at him. Yet his red pajamas were still upon their bed, and his coat was missing instead.

Smee sighed again, pushed his glasses up, and wiped the sleep from his tired eyes. His love was out amongst his men, Smee's crew mates who had no clue of their true relationship, and that could only mean one of two things at this late hour of the night. Either their enemies, the dratted boi or that bloody-thristy, accursed crocodile, who had robbed his love of the decency of his own left hand, had appeared, or his sweetheart's mind and doubts were running again. It was Christmas Eve, just a wee few hours left before Christmas morn, and Smee knew that it was the night and time that was bothering his love rather than any of their more easily fought adversaries.

Smee delayed in going after his Captain just long enough to pull his clothes back on. He had to pull his striped shirt down three times before it finally stopped hitting him in the face, but once he was dressed, Smee hurried out of the cabin. He found his love right where he knew he would be: standing at the railing of their ship, the Jolly Roger, and gazing forlornly up at the North Star.

Smee watched as James' mustache quivered and knew his poor, beloved Captain had been crying. His heart wrenched as he walked up behind him on quiet, aching feet. "C-Captain?" Though he only spoke his title, he and James both knew why he was there, and the love he felt for him was evident in his slightly shaking voice even though he didn't call him by name. He knew something was wrong and wanted only to alleviate his love's pain.

James turned, shifted slightly away from him, and continued to gaze out at the black night wrapping around them. "Go back to bed, Smee." His mustache bristled.

Instead of turning back around, Smee walked boldly up to his love. He would not verbally disobey any order he gave him, but he also would not leave his side any time he needed him. He told him so quietly by placing a hand on his arm. He stood with him in silence for a moment before trying again. "Our bed was lonely," he whispered. "Why'd you leave me?"

That simple, innocent question was the very key he needed to unlock his love's secrets, and James turned to him at last. Smee saw the tears glistening in his dark eyes and wrapped his pudgy arms around him. He held him tight but continued gazing up into his sad face. "Ah, Smee," James cried, wrapping his own arms around his beloved First Mate while tears dripped off of his long, jet black mustache, "I would never leave you!"

"I know," Smee said, hugging him. He laid his white head against his thin chest. "I'd never leave you either, Captain." James had told him well over a hundred years ago to stop calling him Captain, but still Smee persisted in doing so under the explanation that he was still his Captain, if not in position, then still in heart and soul and that they needed to keep up the charade in order to keep the men from going on mutiny.

They'd tried coming out a few times to their various crews, but every time they did, the men would laugh at him. Smee knew he was old, ugly, and fat, though his beloved James denied all of his self accusations, but it still hurt to be the butt of the crew's jokes. He smiled against James' coat; they had both lost track long ago of just how many crew members his beloved Captain had shot on their spot for their vile and ruthless jokes. Yet still they had to have men to run a ship, and they couldn't live on land in this world. For that reason, and that reason alone, James continued to hire in new crews only to shoot them all when they grew tired of hiding their true feelings and have to rehire again.

"Tell me what's bothering you, please, James," Smee whispered, moving the flaps of his red coat aside and nestling his head closer to his skin. Only the thin fabric of James' old, silk shirt remained between Smee's head and James' chest now, and Smee could hear his love's heart beating plainly as he once more laid his head against him.

James ran his hand over his beloved, remembering every scar his fingers ran over and feeling every inch of fat that his beloved Smee still possessed though he ate so very little. He wanted to be able to feed his love better, but it was just so hard to come by decent food in this world. They lived off of fish and sea water, and they were both so tired of seafood that, if they ever did manage to break free of this world, they'd never eat another bite of fish, or even lobster or crab, for as long as they lived. He swept his long, agile fingers over the white curls of Smee's mutton chops before finally admitting with a soft and heavy sigh, "I was just thinking."

Smee gave him a moment to continue, but when James still did not supply the answer for which he had asked, he pushed onward. "About what, love?" he asked. He slipped his arms underneath his beloved Captain's jacket and stroked the small of his lean back.

James sighed, and Smee knew he was crying again without even looking at him. James fluttered helplessly with his one remaining hand out at their surroundings. "About this," he almost whimpered. "About all of this!" Hot tears ran down his face, spilled over his trembling mustache, and splashed down onto the top of Smee's balding head. "I promised myself I'd have you out of this last year by the time Christmas came again. I'd be able to give you everything you deserve: a real home, a fine meal, actual presents . . . "

James' voice broke off into a heartbroken sob. Smee pulled away from him, leaned up, and held his handsome and sad face in his loving hands. Yet, before he could act further to kiss away his tears, Smee's striped shirt flopped up and over his belly again and slapped him in his face once more. "A bloody, proper shirt that at least fits you and doesn't keep popping up!" James cried as he yanked Smee's shirt down so hard and fast that the smaller man's round body received quite the shock.

Ripples passed through him, but though he was a bit dizzy, Smee returned his full attention to his beloved Captain. He took his face in his hands again and began to slowly kiss away each tear that dripped down his love's handsome face. "I don't need any of that," he told him sincerely. "I just need you to make me happy." He kissed him, but James would not be so easily comforted this night.

He almost gave in to Smee's kiss, but James knew, deep down, that his love was only trying to help him be happy again. Yet they deserved so much more than this Hell in which they had been thrust! He deserved to be able to give his love what he needed and wanted, and they deserved to be able to go home again! He cried once more, his whimper piercing the quiet night, as he lifted his mouth from Smee's. "You make me happy, too, love, but you can't tell me you don't want a proper Christmas!"

"A proper Christmas," Smee admitted, musing as he wrapped his love's struggling form in his beefy arms and held him tight again, "would be nice. I'd like to be able to go home, beloved, settle down with you and maybe raise those daffodils and daisies about which we keep talking. I'd love to be able to shower you with gifts instead of just kisses and hugs, and it's true that there's no lovelier Christmas than a white, London Christmas."

Neither Pirate heard the tinkling of music as a tiny light swept over their ship. They heard the rustling of the wind and the creaking of the Jolly Roger, but they didn't hear the woman talking to herself. They knew they were in danger of being overheard by their crew members if they awoke, as they always were when they dared to be together outside of the confines of the Captain's cabin, but they had no idea that another pair of teeny, tiny eyes was watching them intently.

"I wish I could give you that," James told Smee honestly, lovingly stroking his sweet face. "I wish I could give you all that and so much more!" His mustache shook. He turned and swept his hook through the air. "But that blasted boi keeps us imprisoned here! I swore we'd be free, that I'd be able to lay you down in our own bed in our own home on our own land this Christmas Eve and make sweet love to you!"

"So we're not on land," Smee interjected, cupping his love's handsome face in his pudgy hands and bringing him to look back down at him, "and we're not in London. But we are home. We're together, my love, and wherever you are is home to me! I don't need a million presents underneath a Christmas tree. I don't even need one!" His eyes spoke the truth of his words. "And though I'd like to have all you've spoken of, all I really need, my sweet, wonderful, and beloved Captain, is yo!."

He leaned up and pressed his lips to James' again. This time, when James tried to break free, Smee held him determinedly tighter and stroked his handsome face in his hands. His fingers embedded in the black locks of his wig, stroking the back of his neck and the ends of his scalp. His tongue slid out from beneath his fat lips and ran teasingly over James' ruby red lips until at last his Captain responded in kind and opened his mouth to him. Smee's tongue darted into his mouth, and he kissed him even more deeply, pouring into their kiss all the passion and love that he had and always would feel for him alone.

No matter what the world did to him, what Hell the blasted boi thrust upon them, or how many beings laughed at him, Smee's world would always be full and content as long as he had his beloved James loving him. He had learned that long ago. He had also come to accept decades ago that they might never be able to find their way back home, and though he yearned to be able to return to London and their own Earth with his beloved Captain, Smee would still be content as long as he had James and their love. Now he was so busily trying his very best to help his beloved Captain find the same happiness and contentment that he'd given to him so many years ago, and James was steadily drowning head over feet in the heated and endless passion and love they shared, that neither noticed that same, little, green light who had stopped to listen to their conversation swiftly sweeping over their ship.

When Smee finally paused in kissing his beloved Captain and lifted his mouth from his to catch some air, he was still cupping James' handsome face in his hands. James' bold hand had traveled all up and down Smee's body, caressing every spot he could reach with that one appendage, and still he held him close. "I don't care," Smee told him again, "if this is Christmas and if we don't have any presents to give each other. You are all I need, my love, and all I could ever truly want! You . . . "

Smee paused as James' eyes widened in surprise. "What is it, love?" he asked urgently as his mind whirled to find the answer to James' growing surprise. Had the crocodile somehow managed to find its way onto the ship? He'd stop at nothing to kill the mangy beast and never let it get its nasty and hungry jaws upon his love again! He might have eaten his beloved's left hand, but he'd never have his right or any other part of him and, if Smee had thought it even remotely possible to find his love's left hand still in tact after all these years, he would do everything he could to rip into the beast's stomach and retrieve his Captain's hand!

"Smee," James cried, his mustache bristling and his hook lifting triumphantly into the air, "it's snowing!"

"What?" Smee questioned in surprise.

James twirled him about but still didn't let go of him even as he showed him the snow. His hook waved in the night air, and Smee's growing grin slowly but surely filled his face. He beamed as he looked across the ship. Snow was indeed falling, and already pure white and glistening snow covered every inch of the Jolly Roger! He hadn't felt it before, but now he could feel the soft stuff falling on his head and drifting onto his body. "It is," he exclaimed in surprise, beaming up at his love, "isn't it!"

"Aye, it is!" James cried excitedly, and then he bellowed. "MUSICIANS TO THE FRONT!"

Their men were asleep down below, but they didn't need them. They always did best by themselves and had always been happiest during the rare times when it had been just the two of them. "We don't need them, Captain," Smee said, once more stroking James' handsome face. He ran his hands over his mustache and then leaned up and kissed its excitedly quivering length. "We don't need any one but the two of us, and we make the loveliest music together!"

"So we do!" James agreed, beaming at last from ear to ear and swept his beloved Smee across their snowy deck, dancing with him to the tune of love that filled their hearts and at long last celebrating Christmas with an open and glad heart filled with love. "I love you!" he cried. "Merry Christmas, Smee!"

"Merry Christmas, Captain!" Smee returned, beaming up at him. "I love you too, James!" James pulled him close, and they started to kiss again as they continued dancing, sashaying through the night, the holiday, and their life together to the most beautiful music of all, that of true love.

James knew it was nothing short of a miracle for it to snow in Neverland, let alone on the open seas, and he silently thanked whatever caring being had given them this present. Yet never in a million years would he have thought that that thanks was owed to a tiny, little Fairy who'd overheard their heartbreaking conversation, witnessed their love, and wanted to help them find their Christmas this winter season even if she would normally have been fighting them. Tinker Bell tinkled merrily as she watched the lovers dance across the ship. She knew they'd be there all the rest of the night and well into the morning until at last retiring back into their cabin and making sweet love within its safe confines.

She laughed happily. Part of her wanted to see James and Smee continue down their path of love, but she had her own love calling her. She turned and flew away, winging toward her own sweet love and wishing James and Smee the merriest Christmas they could have while underneath the wrath of Pan.

The Pirates never knew she had been there, and indeed they were far too busy dancing in the swirling snow and loving each other to notice any one or thing else. They only had eyes for each other, and though they were still trapped, with no way yet to go home, they would have a very merry holiday indeed and always live happily together in their own happily ever after for they had their love to fill them and keep them warm and happy, and nothing, no force on Earth, in Neverland, or beyond, would ever keep that love from them! "I LOVE YOU, JAMES!" Smee cried happily.

"I LOVE YOU TOO, SMEE!" James shouted for all the world to hear, not caring if any one did or did not hear them, and danced him around again. He might not have presents with which to shower his beloved, but he did have all the love any heart could ever possess and would shower him instead with that love, kisses, and hugs forever more. He'd never let even a moment go by again that his beloved Smee did not know how infinitely much he loved him, and together they would celebrate not just tonight but every day and night forever more for they had the grandest gift of all. They had their love that knew no ends or boundaries and would outlast even time itself, and indeed it did and they were happy forever after, spending eternity in each other's loving arms and loving one another happily ever after!

**The End**


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